Medical Ethnobotany

Catalog description

Plants have always played a key role in the history of life on Earth and have served as medicinal agents in all societies since prehistoric times. Medical Ethnobotany is the study of medicinal plants used by a group of people. Medicinal plants are either critical constituents of many modern drugs or provide templates for synthetic analogous molecules. In this course we will introduce and be acquainted with past and current plant-based natural remedies used across the globe, exploring their efficacy and mode of actions. We will analyze and compare how plants are employed in the different continents to heal (or alleviate) a plethora of pathological conditions, and explore how they affect our bodies (which organic system is affected, i.e., gastro-intestinal, central nervous or respiratory system). The course is designed for students with an interest in the natural world and in traditional medicine. This course is suitable for life sciences majors.